Bohemian Western Railway

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The routes of the kk priv. Bohemian Western Railway

The kk privileged Bohemian West Railway (BWB) was a railway company in Austria . Today your routes are in the territory of the Czech Republic . The company owned and operated the railway line from Prague via Pilsen to Furth im Wald as well as the branching line from Chrást to Radnitz . In 1894 the company was nationalized.

history

Railway bridge over the Klabava near Pilsen

Austria and Bavaria signed a state treaty on June 21, 1851, stating that the two governments would carry out preliminary investigations into the connection of their railway systems. On April 21, 1856, the liabilities were determined in a further contract. This year, the wholesaler Leopold von Lämel and the Princes Metternich , Windischgrätz and Thurn und Taxis applied for the concessions for a railway line from Prague via Pilsen and Taus to the Bavarian border and others from Pilsen to Budweis and Karlsbad . As a result, on September 20, 1858, the Bavarian government determined Furth im Wald as the junction point . Lammel could not raise the necessary money, and the state guarantee was reduced to 20 million guilders. Negotiations between the government and the concessionaires only resulted in them abandoning the concession. However, instead the Klein brothers , Adalbert Lanna , Hermann Dietrich Lindheim , Franz Richter and the Prager Eisenindustrie-Gesellschaft submitted a request to build a line from Prague via Pilsen to the Bavarian border. In return, however, they demanded an increase in the state guarantee to 24 million guilders as well as further financing options through shares and bonds .

To speed up construction, a provisional building permit was issued before the concession came into force, but without the right of expropation and at the entrepreneur's own risk. The concession itself was granted on September 8, 1859, and in addition to the main line, it also included a branch line from Holoubkau via Radnitz to Wegwanow . Financing difficulties arose even now, but the Klein brothers signed a contract with the other concessionaires in which they undertook not only to build the railway, but also to provide the vehicle fleet and other inventory, in return for all shares and priorities. On December 13, 1860, the board of directors of the kk priv. Bohemian Western Railway was constituted .

Construction began on May 7, 1860 and went without any difficulties, only a few rock blasting had to be carried out. The larger bridges were all Schifkorn bridges, but they were soon replaced by other structures. The first section of this route from Chrást near Pilsen to Furth im Wald was opened on October 15, 1861. The route between the border and Furth belonged to the Bayerische Ostbahn , but was leased on by the BWB. Contrary to the original project, the route between Prague and Pilsen was modified, and the branch route was even given a completely different route. This shorter variant from Chrást to Radnitz was approved on May 18, 1862. In order to be able to open it as quickly as possible, a temporary wooden bridge 38 meters high and 190 meters long was built over the Klabawatal , which was replaced in 1893 by a steel structure designed by Gustave Eiffel . The main purpose of the line was to develop a coal mine. For the time being, however, it only ran to Stupno - Břasy .

As with other rail projects of the Danube Monarchy, there was a conflict with the government regarding the state guarantee. The BWB joined a submission of these companies and in 1863 339,802 guilders were paid as an interest-bearing advance payment to the BWB. In 1869, however, after increasing the investment capital, it was able to repay its guarantee debt to the state.

On December 11, 1884, an agreement was concluded between the state and the BWB regarding the re-establishment of the state guarantee. This was a consequence of the conversion of the priorities. The associated law of April 4, 1885 also contained provisions regarding redemption by the state.

In 1889 the authorities pushed for the completion of the branch line to Radnitz and Wegwanow, which the BWB was very reluctant to do. The negotiations dragged on for a long time, until the Ministry of Commerce decided that the company only had to build the line to Radnitz. This 6.6 kilometer stretch was opened in 1893. Because of this construction and the renovation of the train station in Pilsen, the government also waited before nationalization, which did not take place until 1894. The vehicles and routes were taken over by the Imperial and Royal State Railways .

The routes

Locomotives

Locomotives of the Bohemian Western Railway
BWB series Track no. number Manufacturer Construction year Axis formula kkStB no. ČSD no. image
I. 1-3, 9-15, 26th 11 Maffei , Sigl / Vienna , Sigl / Wr. Neustadt 1861-1864 1Bn2 18.51-61
II 4-8, 16-25, 27 16 Sigl / Wr. Neustadt 1861-1864 Cn2 40.70-99 312,401-410 BWB 25 Boehmerwald.jpg
III 28-41 14th Maffei 1868-1872 Cn2 40.70-99 312,401-410
V 42-46 5 Wr. Neustadt 1881/1888 D n2 76.15–19
from 1905: 176.15–19		 403.101-105
A. 50-53 4th Wr. Neustadt 1890 2'Bn2 4.196-199 254.234-236 KkStB 4.jpg
S. Names - Krauss / Munich 1884 Bn2t 288

literature

  • Bernhard Neuner: Bibliography of the Austrian Railways from the Beginnings to 1918 . tape 2 . Walter Drews Verlag, Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-901949-00-3 .
  • Johann Stockklausner: Steam company in old Austria . Slezak Verlag, Vienna 1979, ISBN 3-900134-41-3 .
  • Hermann Strach [Hrsg]: The history of the railways of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy . Karl Prochaska, Vienna-Teschen-Leipzig 1898 (Reprint Archiv-Verlag, Vienna 2000)

Web links